Awards

[Elonsmusk]

Right on. I think he should be first team BE too.

Agree.  Nigel Conference Rankings - Ken Pom Ranks Top 25:

Possession % 1
Shots % 1
eFG 15
True Shooting % 20
Assist Rate 2
Steal % 5
Fouls Drawn 15
Free Throw Rate - 25
2 pt FG% - 22
3 pt % - 12

10 Total Categories in the Top 25

Acaden Lewis
Posssessions - 10
Shots - 20
eFG - 24
Assist Rate - 3
Steal Percentage -2
Fouls Committed - 24

6 total categories in Top 25

And Nigel should have been on 1st team 100% over Michael Ajayi.  Odd to have 4 forwards on a 6 person 1st Team All Big East

[79Warrior]

Agree.  Nigel Conference Rankings - Ken Pom Ranks Top 25:

Possession % 1
Shots % 1
eFG 15
True Shooting % 20
Assist Rate 2
Steal % 5
Fouls Drawn 15
Free Throw Rate - 25
2 pt FG% - 22
3 pt % - 12

10 Total Categories in the Top 25

Acaden Lewis
Posssessions - 10
Shots - 20
eFG - 24
Assist Rate - 3
Steal Percentage -2
Fouls Committed - 24

6 total categories in Top 25

And Nigel should have been on 1st team 100% over Michael Ajayi.  Odd to have 4 forwards on a 6 person 1st Team All Big East

If MU was top 3 in conference he would have won. I think our record hurt him a bit.

[Spaniel with a Short Tail]

The fewer awards Nigel wins the better. Otherwise...

[MU82]

If Shaka had built his roster "right," and used the portal to bring in an experienced point guard (as well as a good 5 and a talented wing), we'd have won a lot more ... but Nigel would have played fewer than 20 minutes per game and wouldn't have sniffed any awards.

[Rimrocker]

One could easily argue that the team's results and woeful start could have been significantly better if Shaka did not start the season giving Hamilton and Jones inexplicable starts and minutes.
Nigel would have better cumulative season stats had he not sat behind the whirling dervish for a month plus.
Sitting on the bench and the horrible team start hurt Nigel.  We will see if he was able to overcome that over the last 20+ games.
I will add that I have portal talent assessment concerns when our head coach thought for the first third of the season that Caedin Hamilton and Sean Jones were better than Royce Parham and Nigel James.

[DoctorV]

One could easily argue that the team's results and woeful start could have been significantly better if Shaka did not start the season giving Hamilton and Jones inexplicable starts and minutes.
Nigel would have better cumulative season stats had he not sat behind the whirling dervish for a month plus.
Sitting on the bench and the horrible team start hurt Nigel.  We will see if he was able to overcome that over the last 20+ games.
I will add that I have portal talent assessment concerns when our head coach thought for the first third of the season that Caedin Hamilton and Sean Jones were better than Royce Parham and Nigel James.

Sure, but this years team could have only really become a good to elite type squad IF guys like SJ22 and Caedin were serviceable AND young guys like Nigel or Adrien made a splash as difference makers AND a guy like Chase was all BE or Benny shot 38% from 3, eg much more given from the upperclassmen.

I suspect Shaka knew the above.

Now, that said, he's had more than enough data points on the upperclassmen to know that it ain't it, and he has to do some shopping

[Jay Bee]

One could easily argue that the team's results and woeful start could have been significantly better if Shaka did not start the season giving Hamilton and Jones inexplicable starts and minutes.
Nigel would have better cumulative season stats had he not sat behind the whirling dervish for a month plus.
Sitting on the bench and the horrible team start hurt Nigel.  We will see if he was able to overcome that over the last 20+ games.
I will add that I have portal talent assessment concerns when our head coach thought for the first third of the season that Caedin Hamilton and Sean Jones were better than Royce Parham and Nigel James.

Exactly! It's still absolutely bonkers to me -- the choices Shaka and staff made for personnel deployment for way too much of the season. It's a concern I'll carry going forward until I see consistent, reasonable decision making. We're trending in the right direction now, but the front part of this season was so bizarro I can't help but have my confidence TAINTed.

[GoldenEagles03]

Exactly! It's still absolutely bonkers to me -- the choices Shaka and staff made for personnel deployment for way too much of the season. It's a concern I'll carry going forward until I see consistent, reasonable decision making. We're trending in the right direction now, but the front part of this season was so bizarro I can't help but have my confidence TAINTed.

They are fine at evaluation of talent. The worry should have been "will they use the portal?" But that question seems to have been answered.

Shaka knows what talent looks like.

[Rimrocker]

They are fine at evaluation of talent. The worry should have been "will they use the portal?" But that question seems to have been answered.

Shaka knows what talent looks like.

I truly question this.  For 13 games Hamilton started and got 20+ minutes a game.  He had game after game where he would go 0-4 or 1-5 on layups.  The whole deal with MU being the worst layup team in the country started with and was exacerbated by Caedin.  His defense was even worse.  The entire fanbase saw it and was besides itself.  Meanwhile an All-BigEast Freshman, ironically, sat behind him.  Much of MU's seasons fortunes went up when the switch that everyone elso could see finally happened. 
My greatest fear with the Jones injury was the when Sean got healthy, Nigel would go back to the bench.
Those are two glaring examples that make me question Shaka's ability to assess talent.
Frankly, most of the Junior and Senior class and those that have left from them make you question it, also.
I guess we will see and the leash at this point has to be pretty short.  Another poor evaluation of talent by Shaka and he will likely be unemployed at this time next year.

[SaveOD238]

You do realize that this roster being one of the worst ever played a big role in Nigel having the opportunity to have as good of a year as he had, right?

He could not have accrued those numbers without being handed the keys so early and often.

I think it will probably be a good sign for MUBB at large if Nigel's counting stats (well maybe not assists) are actually lower next year.  It would mean he doesn't have to carry as big a load.

[MU82]

I truly question this.  For 13 games Hamilton started and got 20+ minutes a game.  He had game after game where he would go 0-4 or 1-5 on layups.  The whole deal with MU being the worst layup team in the country started with and was exacerbated by Caedin.  His defense was even worse.  The entire fanbase saw it and was besides itself.  Meanwhile an All-BigEast Freshman, ironically, sat behind him.  Much of MU's seasons fortunes went up when the switch that everyone elso could see finally happened. 
My greatest fear with the Jones injury was the when Sean got healthy, Nigel would go back to the bench.
Those are two glaring examples that make me question Shaka's ability to assess talent.
Frankly, most of the Junior and Senior class and those that have left from them make you question it, also.
I guess we will see and the leash at this point has to be pretty short.  Another poor evaluation of talent by Shaka and he will likely be unemployed at this time next year.

So, one of the two glaring examples was your fear that "when Sean got healthy, Nigel would go back to the bench" ... even though it didn't happen?

[The Sultan]

So, one of the two glaring examples was your fear that "when Sean got healthy, Nigel would go back to the bench" ... even though it didn't happen?

Not to mention that he completely changed Caedin's role halfway through the season. Shoud it have happened earlier? No doubt. But people really need to take a breath and stop twisting themselves up on logical knots.

[Johnny B]

Holloway "coach of the year" to a guy who won't make the tournament is an interesting look.

[BrewCity83]

One could easily argue that the team's results and woeful start could have been significantly better if Shaka did not start the season giving Hamilton and Jones inexplicable starts and minutes.
Nigel would have better cumulative season stats had he not sat behind the whirling dervish for a month plus.
Sitting on the bench and the horrible team start hurt Nigel.  We will see if he was able to overcome that over the last 20+ games.
I will add that I have portal talent assessment concerns when our head coach thought for the first third of the season that Caedin Hamilton and Sean Jones were better than Royce Parham and Nigel James.

While the bolded above may be true, what is also true is that March Nigel/Royce>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>November Nigel/Royce.  So while it's easy to watch a game now and see that Nigel and Royce have earned far more minutes than Sean and Caeden, that was less clear in November.

[Nukem2]

While the bolded above may be true, what is also true is that March Nigel/Royce>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>November Nigel/Royce.  So while it's easy to watch a game now and see that Nigel and Royce have earned far more minutes than Sean and Caeden, that was less clear in November.

Also re November/December, Shaka also started #18 to allow Ben to showcase himself away from the post in his more natural position, thus keeping Royce on the bench. Sean was viewed as the seasoned starter over the frosh NJ. As for Hamilton in any scenario, well what more can I say....??

[Shooter McGavin]

The plus minus for James after the IU game compared to Sean was stark and undeniable.  Third game of the year. 

[MuMark]

The plus minus for James after the IU game compared to Sean was stark and undeniable.  Third game of the year. 

Shaka.......like almost all coaches......are going to give the returning junior a little more leeway than 3 games before going to the freshman.

Hamilton is a different story.........he fell in love with the idea of having a more physical 5 man who apparently was much better in practice than he was in games........and he seemed to desperately want to see that practice player emerge........so he gave him time......and it just never happened.

[PJDunn]

The last time Shaka went looking into the transfer market he did pretty damn well. I am just waiting for him to bring in the reincarnation of Charles "Mandy" Johnson. That is all that stands between us and cutting some nets.

[The Sultan]

The last time Shaka went looking into the transfer market he did pretty damn well.

Not really.

[PJDunn]

I went fishing and hooked a "sultan". Bait a hook with positivity and the miserable will always bite.

[MU82]

I went fishing and hooked a "sultan". Bait a hook with positivity and the miserable will always bite.

Not to speak for Sultan, but I think all he was saying is that Shaka's most recent transfer in was Zach Wrightsil, who obviously didn't work out great.

You were talking about Kolek, Morsell, Kuath and OMax, and yes, that was an awesome group of transfers. And Sultan knew that, too.

[Elonsmusk]

I went fishing and hooked a "sultan". Bait a hook with positivity and the miserable will always bite.

I agree with this analysis.